Jesus' Authority over Demons

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Jesus has come to destroy the works of the Devil and display his sovereign authority over the spiritual world.

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Introduction:
Scripture Reading:
Mark 5:1–20 ESV
They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
I once heard a fascinating story on NPR explaining the psychological effects on solitary confinement.
Solitary confinement is a form of imprisonment where a prisoner or inmate will be in an isolated cell from other inmates usually to prevent the inmate from harming others.
There have been studies down that correlate Solitary Confinement and mental illness. Solitary confinement is a form of imprisonment where a prisoner or inmate will be in an isolated cell from other inmates usually to prevent the inmate from harming others.
It is often reserved for unruly inmates who have repeated violations, have caused riots, or even have murdered others. Many times it is for dangerous criminals.
Scripture Reading:
And many people have argued that this is a form of cruel and unusual punishment because of the psychological effects it does to a person to be isolated and separated from others.
According to the Journal of American Academy of Psychiatry, Solitary confinement can produce many mental disorders.
It has been observed that people in solitary confinement reported great fear and anxiety, suicidal behavior, schizophrenia, hallucinations, weight loss, depression, and a loss of personal identity.
It can cause fear, anxiety, suicidal behaviors, having hallucinations,
In the interview I heard, an inmate was saying he was someone else. Tried to attempt suicide.
The secular world may list some of these things as mental illness, but do not have a category for the spiritual of supernatural. I believe that in some of these cases, some of these inmates may experience a form of demonic oppression and even possession.
And as we turn to our passage this morning, Jesus encounters a man who lived in solitary confinement in the tombs. A man who was demon oppressed and demon possessed.
He was fearful.
He was schizophrenic.
He was out of control.
He was disillusional.
He was dangerous.
He was suicidal.
And Jesus meets such a man.
Recap
Just as Jesus has the power to calm a violent storm, we see in this text how Jesus has the power to calm a violent man possessed by demons. And just as Jesus has show his divine power over nature, he shows his divine power over the demonic. And we see how Jesus has the power to change. Has the power to make a dead man live. And Jesus still does that today.
Scripture Reading:
Mark 5:1–20 ESV
They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
Just as Jesus has the power to calm a violent storm, we see in this text how Jesus has the power to calm a violent man possessed by demons.
This is the reading of God’s Holy Word.
Unclean meant cermonial defilement.

I. The Demoniac (vv. 1-5)

The Jewish Talmud gave four signs of madness: (1) walking about at night, (2) spending the night on a grave, (3) tearing one’s clothes, and (4) destroying what one was given.
Akin, Daniel L.. Exalting Jesus in Mark (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) (p. 105). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
This man fit that description.
I remember we would go to LA as a church to do homeless ministry sometimes. And there were some interesting individuals on Skidrow. I remember talking to one man who claimed to be the president and that aliens were going to invade the earth.
Now some would say they were just high on some drugs, and that is possible. But sometimes I think to myself, some of these people on the streets who talk to themselves, who are high, who really have some bizarre behavior, I wonder if there is any spiritual dimension to that.
Again, secular culture will just want to give a simplistic answer to that. The drugs. Schizophrenia. Isolation syndrome. Multiple personality disorder.
But again, could there be some spiritual forces at work to keep people oppressed? And I believe so.
And this man was oppressed.
Mark 5:1–2 ESV
They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.
The Location (v. 1)
The disciples had a long night with Jesus where they almost lost their lives at sea, and now Jesus brings them to the eastern shore of Galilee to a Gentile region called Gerasenes.
Because of textual variants, the exact location of the city has been debated.
The New American Commentary: Mark (2) The Exorcising of the Demons from the Wild Man of Gerasa (5:1–20)

The ancient Greek manuscripts, translations, and quotations of the New Testament vary among “Gerasenes,” “Gadarenes,” and “Gergesenes.” The same variants appear in the parallels in Matt 8:28; Luke 8:26. “Gerasenes” is probably the original in Mark and Luke, “Gadarenes” in Matthew. The well-known city of Gerasa, however, was some thirty-three miles from Lake Galilee, and it is improbable that its territory extended to the lake.

The New American Commentary: Mark (2) The Exorcising of the Demons from the Wild Man of Gerasa (5:1–20)

Kersa is possibly related to the Greek name Gerasa, and there are steep hills and cave-tombs about a mile to the south. If Gerasa is to be identified with Kersa, it was probably in the tetrarchy of Philip (Luke 3:1) but was only a mile or two north of the area known as the Decapolis (v. 20). Uncertainty must remain, however, except for the fact that Mark placed the miracle somewhere on the eastern shore in predominantly Gentile territory.

The New American Commentary: Mark (2) The Exorcising of the Demons from the Wild Man of Gerasa (5:1–20)

The “Decapolis” was a loosely connected group of ten Gentile cities that had been set free from Jewish domination by the Roman general Pompey when he occupied Palestine in 63 B.C.

Jews believed that Gentiles were considered unclean. And places of the dead were considered unclean as they arrive in a location near a tomb. And an unclean man meets the disciples and Jesus. This man was scary.
A. He was scary (v. 2)
A. He was scary (vv.1-2)
Mark 5:2 ESV
And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.
As soon as they arrive and Jesus step out of the boat, there is a scary looking man charging them like a zombie.
Mark describes the man as having an unclean spirit. Unclean could mean that the man was ceremonially defiled because he lived in the tombs, but Mark often uses unclean spirit to refer to demonic possession.
And imagine if you were with Jesus. You were terrified by the violent winds on the boat. You were terrified by the Son of God in the boat. And now you are terrified by a violent man charging you like a scary life taking zombie. Luke tells us the man was naked.
Luke 8:27 ESV
When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs.
Luke
An unclean demon possessed man living in an unclean and scary place charging you. It looks like a scene from a dark and scary movie. And Jesus is in enemy territory and will once again display his power to the disciples.
Not only was the demoniac scary, but this man had unusual super Samson-like strength...
B. He was strong (vv. 3-4)
Mark 5:3–4 ESV
He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him.
B. He was strong (vv. 3-4)
Tombs may have been the caves beside the sea. And the text says that no one could bind him even more. The village people chained this man like an animal and no one could do anything about it. The word in other translations is no one could tame him.
He lived like an animal.
He had power to break the shackles and chains. And no one was able to subdue and bind him.
He was scary, unusually strong, but he was also suicidal.
C. He was suicidal (v. 5)
Mark 5:5 ESV
Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.
Day and night he was talking to himself and crying out. He was isolated and he was screaming. Yelling. The word crying is a loud shriek. He is talking to himself and screaming in the middle of night and throughout the day.
And he was cutting himself with stones. He wanted to die, but couldn’t die. This man was hopelessly lost. Living like an animal. Cut off from relationships. Cut off from friendships. Cut off from society. The only acceptable place for him to live was with the dead.
This is the Devil’s intention is to ruin the image of God in man and make him live like an animal. The Devil wanted destruction upon this man
John 8:44 ESV
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
The Gospel of Mark (b) The Gerasene Demoniac: The Subduing of the Demonic. Ch. 5:1–20

This account, more graphically than any other in the Gospels, indicates that the function of demonic possession is to distort and destroy the image of God in man.

Secular want to pyschologize the supernatural. And there is literally no explanation why some people would want to harm others of nowhere.
Following Jesus can lead you into dangerous places with dangerous people
Matthew 10:16 ESV
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
Pray for brothers in difficult and dangerous places
Pray for brothers in difficult and dangerous places
We must pray for brothers and sisters around the world who are in difficult and dangerous places.
Be on Guard Against the Devil
1 Peter 5:8 ESV
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
There is a real evil force in the world that enslaves people. The devil’s desires to destroy people.
Apart from God, this is our condition and destination
And apart from God, you and I are somewhat under the influence and the lies of the evil one.
Ephesians 2:1–3 ESV
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
We may not be demon possessed to the extent of this man, but the ideologies, the philosophies, and the sinful desires and rebellion against God are influenced by Satan and his hosts to keep people from seeing truth, goodness, and beauty in Jesus Christ.
Satan wants to dehumanize us and destroy us. Sin is exactly that. Sin is dehumanizing and destructive.
While Jesus wants to really make us live as God intended. And make us live to the fullest.
And we too have no hope apart from Christ.
No one could help this man. All were terrified of this man. And this man meets Jesus, which leads to our next point...
No one could help this man. All were terrified of this man. And this man meets Jesus, which leads to our next point...
D. He was submissive (v. 6)
Isolation Syndrome
We need to penetrate the darkness with the light of the gospel.
Satan wants to destroy the image of God in us.

II. The Deliverer (vv. 6-13)

Mark 5:6 ESV
And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him.
Yet even though the man was violent and dangerous, strong and suicidal, he sees Jesus from a distance and he fell down before Him.
Luther famously said, “The Devil is God’s devil”. In other words, Satan is not stronger than Jesus. Jesus is the stronger man who has come to bind the strong man and plunder his goods remember in ?
The Demoniac was submissive to Jesus, just as the Devil was submissive to the Lord in the book of Job. That’s interesting. If demons submit to Jesus, and demons submit to God, therefore Jesus must be God!
But the man was not worshipping Jesus is repentance and faith. He was prostrating himself as an enemy submits to a conquering victor. He was terrified on Jesus.
A. The Confession
Mark 5:7–8 ESV
And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
Mark
Isn’t interesting that even the people and the disciples did not get it. Yet the demons knew the true identity of Jesus Christ.
“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of Most High God?”
What do you want with me Jesus? Why are you interfering? What you are going to do with me?
He addresses Jesus as the Son of the Most High God.

“Son of the Most High God” establishes the uniqueness of Jesus’ position in relation to God Almighty and the universality of his power.

In the eyes of Jesus, the rescue and restoration of one person is more important than vast capital assets. Compared to the redemption of a human being, the loss of the swineherds, considerable though it is, does not rate mentioning.

It was a Gentile declaration that God was the highest of all other gods or idols. And he was fearful of the judgment to come.
Mark 5:7 ESV
And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”
Mark 3:
The demons are going to be judged by God. They will be thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:10 ESV
and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Revelation
The man was terrified of Jesus.
B. The Command
B. The Command
Mark 5:8 ESV
For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
And just like in where he rebuked the demon possessed man and told him to be silent, he says to this man Come out of the man you unclean spirit!
Noticed Jesus didn’t use a magical incantation. He didn’t use some spell. He didn’t pray to God.
He simply spoke and sovereign power came with his word.
And let us take encouragement from that because the same word that Jesus spoke, is the same word we have in the Scriptures.
God’s Word can and will change lives as we have seen in the parable of the soils. It will bear fruit. It is a life-giving seed. It is a fruit producing seed. It is a imperishable seed.
Some of you were cut to the heart when you first realize what was in this book and you were changed.
Jesus speaks His Word, and this man was changed.
C. The Conversation
Mark 5:9–10 ESV
And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.
Mark
Jesus asked the demoniac what was his name. He replied “Legion”. Legion was a Roman military unity that consisted of 6,000 soldiers.
Notice the man is speaking from singular, to plural. I am legion, for we are many. This man may have been speaking of behalf of the demonic hosts. Jesus and a legion of demons.
And they are pleading (imperfect) to send them out of the country.
D. The Consent
Mark 5:11–13 ESV
Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
Pigs were unclean animals to the Jews. The Demons wanted to inhabit the pigs.
Leviticus 11:7 ESV
And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.
leviticus
Deuteronomy
Noticed, they asked Jesus for permission. By the command of Christ, Christ permitted them them to leave the man and enter the pigs.
Noticed, they asked Jesus for permission. By the command of Christ, Christ permitted them them to leave the man and enter the pigs.
Some people don’t like that the massive herd of pigs were drowned. Does not Jesus care about animals?
In 2016, a three year old boy climbed into a Gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati zoo. The child was grabbed and dragged by the Gorilla named Harambe. It was all caught on tape and the video went viral. The Zookeeper shot and killed the 17 year old gorilla saving the child’s life.
But it sparked national and global outrage over the killing of Harambe. Some people wanted to blame the parents and investigated possible criminal charges. The mother of the child was harassed and blamed on social media for the Gorilla’s death.
There several vigils to honor the Gorilla’s death. Many animal rights activists were mourning the death of the Gorilla. Even celebrities spoke out.
People
And I am amazed that something like this had to reach national attention. Yes, it was sad that the gorilla died, but are we missing the obvious here? The child would have been killed if the zookeepers did not take action.
Only in a culture of death, where human life is denigrated, do people value animals more than people.
Sproul. Mark (Saint Andrew's Expositional Commentary) (p. 105). Reformation Trust Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Keep in mind that it was predominately Gentile regions. Some would even say Jews may have been working in the region selling pigs to Gentiles. So the business was a comprising business. It was a business that the Lord may have not approved of.
We get more outraged at the killing of animals that millions of abortions that have take place.
Keep in mind that it was predominately Gentile regions. Some would even say Jews may have been working in the region selling pigs to Gentiles. So the business was a comprising business. It was a business that the Lord may have not approved of.
We have our values reversed.
And the pigs entered the pigs and ran off the hillside cliff and were drowned.
The unclean spirits left the unclean man and went into unclean pigs and were removed far from the man. What a picture for the man. The unclean was removed into the depths of the sea.
C. He has the power to Heal
A Picture of Salvation.
Jesus can deliver you! Your life was out of control. Maybe you were suicidal. Maybe you had great fears. Maybe you felt as if no one was there. Maybe you felt so defiled by your sin.
But just as Jesus has saved that man, he can save you. And even better, Jesus can remove your sins from you where the Devil has no accusation against you any longer.
Psalm 103:10–13 ESV
He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
D. He has authority over the demons
Micah 7:19 ESV
He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
The demons and the pigs were cast into the sea, and Jesus cast our sins into the sea because He goes to a cross to absorb the full weight and the full wrath of God as the Godman in our place, and he rise again from the dead and ascends to heaven as a great high priest. And those who repent and trust in Christ have full forgiveness and are made new because he removes our sin and judgment.
The change that happened to that man could also happen to you. The man saw the pigs drowned in the sea. We see our Christ hanging on a tree receiving the full wrath of God so that we can be free.
Demons submit to Christ, but they don’t love Christ
James 2:19–20 ESV
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
2. Trust in the power of the Word
Just as Jesus commanded the demon out of the man by the word of God, the word of God has power to change you and I.
3. The Church is meant to be a holy people
The church is meant to be a holy people. We are to display God’s holiness and his character to the watching world. The church is supposed to be a place of where once dead people are now made alive in Christ.
Transition: We see the Demoniac, the Deliverer who spoke and delivered the Demoniac, and now look at the drama.
Leviticus 11:7 ESV
And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.
Deuteronomy 14:8 ESV
And the pig, because it parts the hoof but does not chew the cud, is unclean for you. Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch.

III. The Drama (vv. 14-17)

Mark 5:14 ESV
The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened.
A. The Curiosity
This was quite a scene in a small village or town. Those herding the pigs and other animals saw the scene and they began to tell other what had happened.
In high school, I remember whenever someone yelled “fight” everyone would drop what they were doing to just come and watch as curious spectators.
And in this scene, everyone just yelled that a significant amount of pigs ran off a cliff and killed themselves.
If they had internet at the time, it would have went viral. Well the news spread throughout the region where everyone wanted to see what had happened
A. They see what happened
B. The Converted Man
Mark 5:15 ESV
And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
Isn’t that Legion? He is not screaming anymore. He is just sitting calmly at Jesus feet. He is clothed. He looks different. He doesn’t look the same. What happened to him.
True conversion because there was a clear and definite change in the man. He was sitting there (as opposed to screaming), clothed and in his right mind (as opposed to naked and insane).
There was a dramatic conversion. There was a clear before and after. This was a complete change.
B. They cared more about money than Jesus
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Is that true in your life? Your conversion may have not been dramatic as this man, but there was something that changed. The friends saw a difference. The friends notice that the man is now with Jesus. The people see that the out of control man is now under control. A true encounter with Jesus will never leave you the same.
Fear and Rejection
Fear and Rejection
The people should have rejoiced in seeing this man changed and converted. But instead they were fearful of Jesus. Just like the disciples were fearful of Jesus in the boat, they were fearful that there was a greater power in their region. And sadly, they didn’t want anything to do with Jesus.
Non-Christian
I think for people who don’t believe in Jesus, it is not that they disagree with who he is, I think the disagree with what He wants to do with your life. He wants to come and make a home. We want him just to rearrange our living room, and he wants to remake the entire house.
We only want Jesus where it is comfortable to us. But as soon as He asks for all of it, we don’t want anything to do with him.
And that is the same for these townspeople.
C. The Rejection
Mark 5:16–17 ESV
And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.
Keep in mind that it was predominately Gentile regions. Some would even say Jews may have been working in the region selling pigs to Gentiles. So the business was a comprising business. It was a business that the Lord may have not approved of.
Materialism can keep you from Jesus.
They were more concerned about the money making business of the pigs, than the man clothed in his right man.
They were more concerend about their business and their economic prosperity than they were Jesus.
People will reject Christ not because they disagree with who He is, but because they disagree with what Christ demands of them.
Don’t get too involved in my business Jesus. Or money. Or career. Or sinful comprimise.
Christian-Be careful that you are more concerned about materialism than salvation.
Transition: We see the Demoniac meets the Deliverer, the Drama among the towns people, and finally the declaration.

IV. The Declaration (vv. 18-20)

Mark 5:18 ESV
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him.
A. He wanted to be with Jesus
Mark 3:14 ESV
And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach
He was truly changed because he simply wanted to be with Jesus.
Do you desire to be with Jesus? Do you desire fellowship with Him? Do you want to be with Him and his disciples?
I can’t go back to the way I was living. I was living like a dead man. I want to be with you Jesus.
B. He was sent by Jesus
Mark 5:19 ESV
And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”
Jesus says no to Him! The desire of the former demoniac is declined. Why? Jesus has a purpose and mission for us.
Demon possessed to disciple. Maniac to missionary. Controlled by Satan to converted by Christ.
And Jesus did not allow him to be with him because he had a mission or purpose for him.
Go tell your friends how much the Lord has done for you and how he was had mercy on you.
Church—Testimonies during Baptisms.
Testimony Evangelism.
He was to share his testimony to others.
Christian—If you don’t feel equipped, just tell others how much Jesus has done for you.
Use your testimony as a springboard to the gospel. Let me tell you how Jesus changed me, and let me tell you how he can change you too!
Christian—Tell your friends and family!
Evangelism is telling others about how much Jesus has done for you in delivering you isn’t it?
I was blind, but now I see.
C. He obeyed Jesus
Mark 5:20 ESV
And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
He listened. He preached. He proclaimed how Jesus had delivered Him. And don’t miss verse 20, because in verse 19 it says how much the Lord has done for you, and verse 20 it is how much Jesus had done for Him. Therefore Jesus must by the Lord.
The New American Commentary: Mark (2) The Exorcising of the Demons from the Wild Man of Gerasa (5:1–20)

The “Decapolis” was a loosely connected group of ten Gentile cities that had been set free from Jewish domination by the Roman general Pompey when he occupied Palestine in 63 B.C.

Pliny the Elder lists them as follows: Damascus, Philadelphia, Raphana, Scythopolis, Gadara, Hippos, Dion, Pella, Gerasa, and Canatha (Harper’s Bible Dictionary 215).

Everyone marveled.
Church—The Lord has allowed us to be here still so that we can tell others how much the Lord has done for us and how He had mercy on us.
Sproul. Mark (Saint Andrew's Expositional Commentary) (p. 105). Reformation Trust Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Sproul. Mark (Saint Andrew's Expositional Commentary) (p. 105). Reformation Trust Publishing. Kindle Edition.
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
This is why we gather. This is why we scatter. We tell the old story.
Summary:
Revelation 20:10 ESV
and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The Demoniac—Hopelessly lost. Abandoned and forsaken. Out of control and suicidal.
Materialism is bad.
The Deliverer—He meets Jesus. Jesus speaks, and His life is changed.
The Drama—The people hear about Jesus, yet they reject Jesus.
The Declaration—This man wants to be with Jesus, but Jesus sends him to his home to tell others how much the Lord has done for him and how he has mercy on him.
Akin, Daniel L.. Exalting Jesus in Mark (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) (p. 105). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Conclusion:
Akin, Daniel L.. Exalting Jesus in Mark (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) (p. 105). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Two responses:
If anyone has been truly converted, we have a similar testimony.
Fear and Rejection
I was once lost and out of control. I had no hope in the world. I despaired of life.
But I met Jesus. He spoke His Word to me. He embraced me and forgave me.
Acceptance and Obedience
And now I have a story to tell, “How much the Lord has done to me, and how he has shown me mercy.”
Jesus brings creation out of chaos.
And he can do that for you as well if you trust Him.
The Gospel of Mark (b) The Gerasene Demoniac: The Subduing of the Demonic. Ch. 5:1–20

This account, more graphically than any other in the Gospels, indicates that the function of demonic possession is to distort and destroy the image of God in man.

The Gospel of Mark (b) The Gerasene Demoniac: The Subduing of the Demonic. Ch. 5:1–20

The point of arrival is indicated in a general way as the district of the Gerasenes, most probably in reference to a town whose name is preserved in the modern Kersa or Koursi. At the site of Kersa the shore is level, and there are no tombs. But about a mile further south there is a fairly steep slope within forty yards from the shore, and about two miles from there cavern tombs are found which appear to have been used for dwellings.

The reason for refusal is rather the positive one that this man has an opportunity, which is uniquely his, to spread the news of what God is doing through Jesus of Nazareth among those who have known what he was before, and who therefore cannot ignore the dramatic change which has resulted from his encounter with Jesus. In emphasising this motivation Mark no doubt expects his readers to understand that the same principle applies to others whose lives Jesus has changed, even in less dramatic circumstances.

The “Gerasa” of Mark 5:1 was probably Kursi/Gergesa, which lay within the administrative district of Hippos, one of the major cities of the Decapolis situated on the commanding promontory to the south overlooking the Sea of Galilee.

The city was unclean, the people were unclean, the animals were unclean, the man was unclean.

“Son of the Most High God” establishes the uniqueness of Jesus’ position in relation to God Almighty and the universality of his power.

In the eyes of Jesus, the rescue and restoration of one person is more important than vast capital assets. Compared to the redemption of a human being, the loss of the swineherds, considerable though it is, does not rate mentioning.

Jesus brings creation out of chaos.
Gentile Missionary. God converts the most unlikely people.
Church—The Lord hasn’t taken us so that we can continue to proclaim the Lord’s mercy before the Lord comes in judgment.
The New American Commentary: Mark (2) The Exorcising of the Demons from the Wild Man of Gerasa (5:1–20)

The ancient Greek manuscripts, translations, and quotations of the New Testament vary among “Gerasenes,” “Gadarenes,” and “Gergesenes.” The same variants appear in the parallels in Matt 8:28; Luke 8:26. “Gerasenes” is probably the original in Mark and Luke, “Gadarenes” in Matthew. The well-known city of Gerasa, however, was some thirty-three miles from Lake Galilee, and it is improbable that its territory extended to the lake.

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The New American Commentary: Mark (2) The Exorcising of the Demons from the Wild Man of Gerasa (5:1–20)

Kersa is possibly related to the Greek name Gerasa, and there are steep hills and cave-tombs about a mile to the south. If Gerasa is to be identified with Kersa, it was probably in the tetrarchy of Philip (Luke 3:1) but was only a mile or two north of the area known as the Decapolis (v. 20). Uncertainty must remain, however, except for the fact that Mark placed the miracle somewhere on the eastern shore in predominantly Gentile territory.

The New American Commentary: Mark (2) The Exorcising of the Demons from the Wild Man of Gerasa (5:1–20)

The “Decapolis” was a loosely connected group of ten Gentile cities that had been set free from Jewish domination by the Roman general Pompey when he occupied Palestine in 63 B.C.

The ruins of the village Khersa (Gerasa) probably point to this site which is in the district of Gadara some six miles southeastward, not to the city of Gerasa some thirty miles away.

Greek manuscripts are divided on the precise location involved, citing three names: Gadarenes (Matt. 8:28), Gergesenes (from Origen), and Gerasenes. (See comments on Luke 8:26). Reliable evidence favors the name Gerasenes which probably referred to the small town Gersa (modern Khersa) located on the lake’s eastern shore. Most of its inhabitants were Gentiles (cf. Mark 5:11, 19).

Pliny the Elder lists them as follows: Damascus, Philadelphia, Raphana, Scythopolis, Gadara, Hippos, Dion, Pella, Gerasa, and Canatha (Harper’s Bible Dictionary 215).

Before and After
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